How to Say Hello in French

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Say "Bonjour" in any setting.

   This term is the standard, textbook translation of “hello” and can be used in both formal and casual settings.
   
   Bonjour is a combination of the term "bon," meaning "good," and "jour," meaning day.
   
   The literal translation is "good day." The term is pronounced bon-zhoor., Rather than “hello,” this term would be better translated as “hi” or “hullo.” Even though salut is an interjection used to greet people, it is related to the French verb "saluer," meaning "to greet" or "to salute." The literal translation of salut is "cheers or bye" and it is used for rather informal situations.
   
   The term is pronounced without the ending “t,” so it sounds like sah-loo. "Salut" can take the meaning of "goodbye" as well.
   
   Therefore, salut can be used in the beginning and in the end of conversations.
   
   Another informal greeting using this term would be “Salut tout le monde!” Roughly translated, it means “Hello, everybody!” The term "tout" means "all" and "le monde" means "the world." This greeting would only be used amongst a group of close friends., Both terms are not as standard or formal as bonjour, but they are used to say “hello” in settings that are not especially formal.
   
   Hé is best translated as the English "hey." The term is pronounced similarly, with the ésounding close to the English ei.
   
   Another informal greeting used amongst friends is "Hé là!" This translates into "Hey there!" As an interjection, tiens! is essentially a surprised "hello!" The "ie" in the word is nasalized and pronounced like the English "y," so the word sounds like t-y-ns., This greeting is the one that sounds most similar to the English “hello,” and it is commonly used to greet someone on the telephone.
   
   The term is pronounced ah-low, with a heavy accent on the second syllable.
   
   You could could also ask, "âllo?" Used this way, the accent is on the first syllable.
   
   This expression would be used if you wanted to ask something along the lines of "Hello? Are you listening?"
   
   Bien means "well," and venue is a noun meaning arrival.
   
   The term is roughly pronounce bea-venoo.
   
   Another way to extend your welcome to someone would be to say "être le bienvenu." The term "être" is a verb meaning "to be."
2. 2

   Step 2: Use "Salut" in less formal situations.

3. 3

   Step 3: State "Hé" or "Tiens" in casual settings

4. 4

   Step 4: Answer the phone with "Allô."

5. 5

   Step 5: Use "bienvenue" to welcome someone.If someone visits your home or office

6. 6

   Step 6: you could welcome them with this phrase which loosely translates into “Welcome!” A more literal translation of the term would be "well arrival."

Detailed Guide

About the Author